1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
The "electrophotographic image forming apparatus" is an apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium by using an electrophotographic image forming system. For example, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus may be an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (for example, a laser beam printer or an LED printer), an electrophotographic facsimile or an electrophotographic word processor.
The "process cartridge" incorporates therein an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a charge member for charging the electrophotographic photosensitive member as a cartridge unit which can detachably be mounted to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus or incorporates therein an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least one of such a charge means, a developing means for developing a latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member and a cleaning means for removing developer remaining on the electrophotographic photosensitive member as a cartridge unit which can detachably be mounted to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatus, such as an electrophotographic copying machine, a laser beam printer or the like includes a photosensitive drum. Well-known processes such as charging, exposure and development are successively effected regarding the photosensitive drum to thereby form a toner image on the photosensitive drum and to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium. Thereafter, residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum is removed by a cleaning device. In this way, the image is formed.
In such electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, recently, a process cartridge has been adopted to make the apparatus compact and simplify its maintenance. In the process cartridge, the photosensitive drum and the process means (such as a charge member, a developing member and a cleaning member) acting on the photosensitive drum are integrally incorporated as a cartridge unit which can detachably be mounted to a main body of the image forming apparatus by an operator himself.
Such a process cartridge has a grip through which the operator mounts the process cartridge to the main body of the image forming apparatus by his hand.